PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ruud Van Koperen (ranked 4568 p4p, 4302 weight class) and Stjepan Gaspar (ranked 0 p4p, 503 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Van Koperen
vs
Gaspar

192 cm
16
200
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
25
202
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Inexperienced

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Ruud Van Koperen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Stjepan Gaspar!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Blasius, Aafke Stam and Albert Achterberg.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Van Koperen lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.

Gaspar has Van Koperen up against the cage in a clinch.
Gaspar tries to score a body lock takedown but Van Koperen shows good agility there to stay on his feet.

Gaspar gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Van Koperen tries to kick Gaspar off but Gaspar keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Gaspar prevents Van Koperen from improving his position.
Gaspar seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Van Koperen trying to control but Gaspar postures up.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gaspar wants to free his trapped foot but Van Koperen is holding on for dear life with his legs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Van Koperen wants to stand back up but Gaspar manages to pass into side control.
Gaspar working away.
Van Koperen tries to bench press Gaspar off him but Gaspar keeps the position.
Van Koperen trying to remain calm as Gaspar controls from the top position.
Van Koperen is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

Gaspar decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Van Koperen scores with a nice body kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gaspar takes a kick to the side of the head.
Van Koperen throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.

Gaspar shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Van Koperen working a defensive guard here.

Gaspar stands up from guard. Let's bang!

Gaspar clinches.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Gaspar can't get the takedown.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gaspar drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Van Koperen gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Ruud Van Koperen has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Stjepan Gaspar.
Gaspar jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Van Koperen walks away with a smile on his face. Gaspar gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Van Koperen tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Gaspar was well out of range. Poor timing from Van Koperen.
Van Koperen throws a head kick that misses.
Gaspar is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Gaspar stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Van Koperen.

Gaspar manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Van Koperen on his heels. He'll look to pass Van Koperen's guard now, I'm sure.
Van Koperen is looking to stand up but Gaspar isn't so interested in that idea.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Van Koperen working a defensive guard here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gaspar preventing the sweep.
Van Koperen throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Van Koperen looking to hit a scissor sweep but Gaspar is one step ahead there.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Van Koperen wants to stand up but Gaspar is controlling him.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters, thinking about a standup.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Van Koperen 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.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Stjepan Gaspar will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare each other down, ready to get back to the action.

Gaspar moves out of range of the strikes.
Gaspar with the counter takedown but Van Koperen avoids it easily.
Gaspar dives in and grabs Van Koperen's left leg, looking for a takedown. Van Koperen pushes down on Gaspar's head and hops out.

Gaspar closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Van Koperen quickly recovers to half guard.
Gaspar controlling the pace.
Gaspar trying to mount his opponent but Van Koperen defends it.
Van Koperen is looking to escape.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gaspar is controlling the pace.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Van Koperen wants to improve his position but Gaspar is controlling well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gaspar works his foot free and advances to mount.
Van Koperen tries to buck Gaspar off but he can't manage it.

Gaspar is standing up, even though he is in mount.

That's two 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.
Van Koperen avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Gaspar shoots in and gets a takedown into Van Koperen's guard.
Stjepan Gaspar has got the better of the ground game so far.
Gaspar controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Van Koperen controls Gaspar momentarily but Gaspar frees himself.
Van Koperen wants to control the position but Gaspar says "no thanks buddy" and passes to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Gaspar is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Van Koperen trying to control here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Gaspar content to control rather than advance.
Van Koperen is trying to get back to full guard.
Gaspar controlling the action here.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Ruud Van Koperen is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Van Koperen throws a head kick that misses.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Gaspar darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Van Koperen is trying to maintain the position but Gaspar is very close to passing his half guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Stjepan Gaspar showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Gaspar avoids the head kick by Van Koperen.
Van Koperen misses with a wild body shot.
Van Koperen misses the body punch

and Gaspar counters with a shoot takedown. Van Koperen fights it but they end up in guard.
Van Koperen is wriggling around but Gaspar manages to pass to half guard.

Van Koperen is trying to control but Gaspar manages to pass to mount!
Gaspar has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

Gaspar stands up from the dominant position. He obviously fancies his chances standing.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gaspar shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Van Koperen sprawls well. Van Koperen wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Gaspar gets slowly back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Van Koperen throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Van Koperen throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.

Gaspar drives through with a takedown into Van Koperen's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Van Koperen wants to get back to his feet but Gaspar passes into half guard.

Gaspar looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Van Koperen is looking to improve his position.
Van Koperen trying to control here.
Van Koperen is trying to stand up here but Gaspar is controlling him well.
Gaspar moves nicely into side control.
Van Koperen tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gaspar is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.

Gaspar decides to stand back up. Gaspar steps back and let's Van Koperen get back to his feet.
Van Koperen lands a high kick!

Gaspar shoots in and bounces Van Koperen off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.

Van Koperen wriggles free and stands up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Van Koperen moves into range and connects with a jab.
Van Koperen is looking to chop away at Gaspar's legs.
Gaspar tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Van Koperen fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Gaspar has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Gaspar tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Van Koperen defends well and Gaspar ends up having to push Van Koperen into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.

Gaspar takes the fight into the clinch.
Ruud Van Koperen has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Gaspar has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Van Koperen is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Stjepan Gaspar is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Ruud Van Koperen has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Stjepan Gaspar.
Van Koperen is trying to break the clinch but Gaspar has him pressed against the cage.

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 Ruud Van Koperen.
I think Gaspar 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 Daniel Blasius scores the fight 28:29
Judge Aafke Stam scores the fight 29:29
Judge Albert Achterberg scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Stjepan Gaspar!