PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Niko Clooten (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Matt Sams (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). On his way into the cage it seems that Niko Clooten has been attacked by a crazed fan! It looks like it might have been the just bleed guy! Luckily Niko Clooten seems to be OK! I thought that lunatic was in prison!?

Clooten
vs
Sams

190 cm
22
222 lbs
6 - 1 - 0

188 cm
21
219 lbs
7 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Battalion Athletics

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 6 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Niko Clooten!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Matt Sams!
The judges for this bout are Gregory Folan, Ian Loll and Alec Ball.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Clooten throws a looping overhand right but Sams ducks down to avoid it.
A slapping body kick lands there for Clooten.
Matt Sams seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sams misses the shot to the body.
Clooten scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Sams doesn't seem bothered though.
Clooten stalks Sams and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Sams's face. Sams staggers backwards, shaken.

Clooten takes the fight into the clinch.
Clooten lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Clooten looking for a takedown.

Clooten pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
A looping hook to the body misses from Clooten. Sams does a little dance to reset his feet.
Nice uppercut lands for Sams. That snapped Clooten's head back.
Clooten throws a nice head kick!
Nice uppercut lands for Clooten. That snapped Sams's head back.
Clooten keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Sams.
Sams missing with a left hand there. Clooten was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Sams swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
A swing and a miss from Sams.
Clooten throws a nice head kick!
A shot to the body from Sams misses
and Clooten counters with a nice uppercut.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Clooten lands a nice leg kick that just misses Sams's sensitive parts.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Clooten walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Sams slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Clooten defending well as Sams loads up on a big left hand.
Clooten avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Sams thows a body shot but no joy.
Sams scores with a nice right hand.
Clooten throws a hook but Sams blocks it.

Clooten takes the fight into the clinch.

Clooten pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Clooten moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Clooten ducks under a wild hook from Sams.
Sams throws a looping overhand right but Clooten ducks down to avoid it.
Clooten misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Clooten avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Sams thuds a left hand into Clooten's body.
Clooten will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Sams falls off balance throwing a combination
and Clooten counters with a nice leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sams ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Clooten moves away.
Sams scores with a jab. Clooten acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!

Clooten closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Clooten throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Clooten tries to advance to mount but can't.
Clooten is working hard here to advance position.
Clooten working the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sams wants to control but Clooten postures up.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sams tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Clooten wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Clooten tries to move into full mount but can't pass Sams's legs.

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.
Sams parries the strikes from Clooten easily there. Clooten is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Sams to escape.
Sams parries the strikes from Clooten easily there. Clooten is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Sams to escape.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Sams stops Clooten from passing to mount.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Sams takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Sams looks to throw the jab but Clooten is out of range.
Clooten is looking to land body kicks.

Clooten is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Sams's half guard.
Sams is concentrating on defense, preventing Clooten from advancing position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Niko Clooten dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Clooten lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
The fighters circling - Sams throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Sams is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Clooten.
Sams throws an overhand right that lands on Clooten's shoulder, as Clooten tries to avoid the shot.
Sams throws a predictable looking body shot
and Clooten counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
A nice inside leg kick there by Clooten. That's going to slow Sams down.
Sams walks into a stiff left hand from Clooten.
Clooten takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Sams misses with the combination.
The fighters circling - Sams throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Clooten scoring well with a low kick there.
Clooten defending well as Sams loads up on a big left hand.
Sams throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Clooten scores with a nice head shot.
Sams misses with a jab, cross combination.
Sams misses the jab.
Clooten throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Niko Clooten is winning the standup battle so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Clooten clinches up with Sams and pushes him back against the cage.
Clooten presses Sams against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Sams.
Clooten lands a shoulder strike.
Clooten misses with the head strike.
Sams tries to stall but Clooten uses the opportunity to gain a better position.

Clooten breaks the clinch.
Clooten throws a hook but Sams avoids it easily.
Clooten pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Clooten lands with a cross.
Sams is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Clooten throws the kick towards the body but Sams avoids it.
Sams takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Sams looks to score with a jab to the body but Clooten is just out of range.

Clooten is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Sams's half guard.

Clooten is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Clooten has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sams keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Clooten missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Sams manages to get to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Clooten showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Clooten cracks Sams with a solid left hand.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Clooten drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Sams manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Clooten has Sams in his guard.
Sams won't allow Clooten to sweep him here.

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.

Sams avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Sams throws a big right hand that misses.
Clooten keeping moving, preventing Sams from controlling successfully.

Clooten escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Sams gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

Sams gets to his feet - Clooten follows without any prompting.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Niko Clooten dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Sams misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Clooten.

Clooten moves into range and clinches up with Sams.
Sams misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Clooten.
Clooten tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Sams lands with a light punch inside.

Clooten turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Clooten manages to end up in side control.

Clooten is trying to get an arm triangle but Sams is defending well.
Sams manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Sams works his way to full guard. Good work.
Clooten trying to control the position from guard on top but Sams is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Clooten is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Sams is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Sams pulls Clooten in to control the position.

Sams has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Clooten off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.

Sams tries to keep at a distance but Clooten has taken the fight into the clinch.
Niko Clooten is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

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.
Sams wants to break free but Clooten has control.
Sams is trying to stall.
Clooten misses with the head strike.
Matt Sams has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Clooten's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Clooten tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Sams tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Stalling in the clinch from Sams.
A nice right hand lands inside from Clooten.
Sams is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.

Clooten gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
Sams working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Clooten.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Clooten wants to control from the top but Sams keeps moving.
Clooten missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Clooten showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Sams wants to stand but Clooten is controlling his posture from full guard.
Clooten has momentary wrist control but Sams slips an elbow through the middle.

Clooten throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Sams escapes and throws Clooten's legs to the side, diving into side control!
The strikes coming from Sams are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Sams works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.

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 Niko Clooten.
Well Clooten 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 Gregory Folan scores the fight 30:28
Judge Ian Loll scores the fight 30:27
Judge Alec Ball scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Niko Clooten!