PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight kickboxing rules bout between Mike Van Rijn (ranked 1465 p4p, 154 weight class) and Miyamoto Musashi (ranked 3780 p4p, 309 weight class). Musashi has chosen Kodō (鼓童)_Shake as his entrance music. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the ring.

Van Rijn
vs
Musashi

180 cm
27
159 lbs
22 - 21 - 0

168 cm
40
152 lbs
41 - 20 - 3

World class MT
Insanely flexible

World class MT
Good gas tank

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 22 - 21 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Mike Van Rijn!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 41 - 20 - 3, fighting out of Las Vegas, Miyamoto Musashi!
The judges for this bout are Leandro Rodrigues, Alexandre Firmino and Felipe Paraventi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Musashi lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Van Rijn throws a looping overhand right but Musashi ducks down to avoid it.
Van Rijn fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Musashi throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Musashi ducks under a wild hook from Van Rijn.
Musashi throws a counter combo.
Van Rijn on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Van Rijn lands a jab to Musashi's midsection.
Van Rijn scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Van Rijn lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Musashi circles away quickly and effectively.
We've been informed that Musashi has been sparring a lot of Muay Thai in the buildup to this fight so let's see if that has an impact on the result.
Van Rijn throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Musashi sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Musashi connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Van Rijn swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Van Rijn lands a nice leg kick that just misses Musashi's sensitive parts.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Musashi throws a hook but Van Rijn avoids it easily.
Van Rijn avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Musashi throws a hook to the side of Van Rijn's head but Van Rijn sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Van Rijn pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Musashi back to the ropes. Van Rijn follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
Musashi throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Van Rijn wants to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Musashi tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Van Rijn looks to clinch
and Van Rijn takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Musashi jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
The fighters circling - Musashi throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Musashi closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Van Rijn is looking to clinch but Musashi is avoiding it.
A slapping leg kick lands for Musashi.
Van Rijn throws a good cross that connects.
Nice shot lands for Musashi.
Musashi connects with a nice looking jab.
Musashi stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Musashi thows a left - swing and a miss!
Van Rijn takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.

It looks like Mike Van Rijn has been cut.

Musashi tries to keep at a distance but Van Rijn has taken the fight into the clinch.
Musashi makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Van Rijn lands a hook that snaps the head of Musashi backwards.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Van Rijn tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Musashi's elbow.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Musashi.
I was talking to Van Rijn's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Nice body punch from Van Rijn - that landed with a thud.
Van Rijn lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Musashi or not.
Van Rijn lands with a left to the head.
Musashi tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Van Rijn lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Musashi backwards.

Musashi breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Van Rijn listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Van Rijn is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Musashi avoids the body shot from Van Rijn.
Van Rijn is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Jab from Musashi.
Van Rijn moves out of range as Musashi throws a body kick.

Van Rijn gets in close and instigates a clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Miyamoto Musashi will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Mike Van Rijn's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Van Rijn lands a body shot.
Musashi throws a sloppy head kick and Van Rijn moves out of range easily.
Miyamoto Musashi seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Musashi throws a nice inside leg kick.

Van Rijn instigates a clinch.
Musashi working hard to break the clinch.
Van Rijn scores with a nice hook to the head.
Musashi is trying to maintain a safe position but Van Rijn gets an underhook and turns Musashi into the ropes.
Van Rijn misses with a hook from the clinch.
Musashi lands a shoulder strike.
Van Rijn misses with the head strike.
Musashi gets through Van Rijn's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Musashi gets through Van Rijn's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Van Rijn keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Musashi's efforts to push away.
A short right from Musashi.
Van Rijn blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
The fighters are pressed against the ropes, as the pace of the fight slows.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Van Rijn blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

Musashi breaks the clinch.
Van Rijn tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Musashi counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Musashi keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Van Rijn tries to close the distance and clinch up but Musashi swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Van Rijn is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Van Rijn drops his hands momentarily and Musashi takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Musashi has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Musashi keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Van Rijn.
Van Rijn misses with a wild body shot.
Van Rijn tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Van Rijn takes a swing at Musashi's ribcage but misses.
Van Rijn tries a low kick but Musashi avoids it.
Musashi throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Van Rijn sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Van Rijn takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Musashi is pinned up against the ropes taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Donk. Musashi catches Van Rijn right on the button with a cross.
Van Rijn misses with a body shot.
Musashi tries to work over Van Rijn's front leg with a kick but Van Rijn checks it.
Musashi stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
A left lands for Van Rijn.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A looping hook to the body misses from Van Rijn. Musashi does a little dance to reset his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Van Rijn connects with a nice looking jab.
Musashi throws a hook but Van Rijn blocks it.
Van Rijn connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Musashi momentarily.
Van Rijn looks to score with a jab to the body but Musashi is just out of range.
Van Rijn drops his hands momentarily and Musashi takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Musashi takes a swing at Van Rijn's ribcage but misses.
Van Rijn tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Musashi manages to circle out of the way.
Musashi misses with a few strikes there.
Van Rijn looks to land a combination but Musashi avoids it well.
Musashi throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Van Rijn counters by moving into the clinch.
Van Rijn swings wildly with an uppercut but Musashi uses good head movement to avoid it.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Musashi.
Van Rijn tries to work over Musashi's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Musashi wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Van Rijn has him pressed against the ropes.
Van Rijn misses with a punch to the body.

Musashi breaks the clinch.
Van Rijn lands a high kick!
Musashi will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Miyamoto Musashi showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Mike Van Rijn's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Van Rijn misses with the combination.
Van Rijn throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Van Rijn connects with a nice looking jab.
Van Rijn ducks under a wild hook from Musashi.
A big left from Musashi misses.
Musashi throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Musashi throws a right hand that Van Rijn ducks under and follows up with a left that Van Rijn also avoids with ease.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Van Rijn throws a big shot that misses.
Musashi takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Van Rijn checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Nice body punch from Van Rijn.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Musashi just misses with a punch to the body.
As Musashi tries to get set, Van Rijn tries to push him back and clinch up but Musashi manages to avoid the attempt.
Musashi throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Musashi jabs Van Rijn to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Musashi misses with a looping right.
Miyamoto Musashi is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Van Rijn scores with a shot to the body.

Van Rijn closes the distance and clinches.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Van Rijn struggles to land a body shot inside as Musashi controls his hands.
Van Rijn digs a right hand underneath Musashi's ribcage. Musashi let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Musashi tries to circle away but Van Rijn has him pinned against the ropes.
Van Rijn digs a right hand into Musashi's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Musashi's gas tank.
A nice left hand lands by Van Rijn.
Musashi blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

Musashi manages to break the clinch.
Van Rijn misses with a low kick.
Van Rijn scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Van Rijn throws a head kick that misses.
Musashi's jab looks to have found its range, popping Van Rijn under the eye.
The fight stays on the outside here - Van Rijn looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Musashi misses with a series of wild punches.
Van Rijn wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.
Miyamoto Musashi seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Van Rijn throws out a loose jab but Musashi uses good head movement to avoid it.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Musashi.
Van Rijn is looking to wear down Musashi with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
A jab lands there for Musashi.
Mike Van Rijn has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Van Rijn gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Van Rijn has a couple of punches blocked by Musashi.
Van Rijn can't find room to land a body shot as Musashi controls the action.
Van Rijn stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Van Rijn misses with a hook to the ribs.

Musashi manages to break the clinch.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Musashi, right into the meat.
Musashi keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Musashi looks to land a left hand but Van Rijn moved out of range nicely.
Van Rijn misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Musashi.
Van Rijn throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

Van Rijn closes the distance and clinches.
Musashi stalling against the ropes.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Musashi.
A head punch on the inside from Musashi fails to land.
Musashi blocks a body shot from Van Rijn.

Musashi breaks from the clinch.

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 Mike Van Rijn.
I think Musashi 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 Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 28:29
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 28:29
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Miyamoto Musashi!