PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Van Damme (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Alejandro Martinez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Alejandro Martinez is staring across the cage at his opponent, tweaking his nipples.

Damme
vs
Martinez

165 cm
22
160 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

183 cm
25
166 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Big heart

Good wrestler
Brawler
Heavy handed

Heisenberg
Mango Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Van Damme!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Alejandro Martinez!
The judges for this bout are Felipe Paraventi, Leandro Rodrigues and Luis Engracia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Martinez misses with a left hand

and Damme counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Damme.
Damme keeps control of Martinez as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

Damme breaks the clinch.
Martinez with a nice cross.
Damme tries to clinch but Martinez is having none of it.
Martinez takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Martinez throws the left hand but Damme avoids the punch easily.
Damme uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Martinez.
Martinez throws out a loose jab but Damme uses good head movement to avoid it.
Damme throws a series of punches but Martinez avoids them all with ease.
Martinez lands a slapping body shot.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Damme gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Martinez wants to get back to striking at distance but Damme won't allow it.
Martinez is looking to break free of the clinch but Damme has double underhooks.
Damme is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Martinez misses with a hook from the clinch.
A head punch on the inside from Martinez fails to land.

Damme breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Damme could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Martinez listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Martinez looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Martinez throws a body punch but Damme moves out of range.
Martinez uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Damme has time to react.
No joy there for Damme, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Damme uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Martinez.
The crowd cheers as Martinez lands an impressive looking overhand right. Damme doesn't seem phased though.
Martinez throws an ugly left hook that misses

and Damme counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Martinez is trying to break free.
Martinez has a couple of punches blocked by Damme.
Martinez is trying to break the clinch but Damme has him pressed against the cage.
Martinez is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Damme is trying to pull guard but Martinez has him pressed against the cage.
Damme prevents a body shot from Martinez.

Damme breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Martinez throws a hook but Damme avoids it easily.
Damme rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Martinez moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Martinez's jab looks to have found its range, popping Damme under the eye.
Damme looks to be in better condition than last time we saw him fight. Obviously he's been working hard on his cardio.
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!
Damme throws a series of punches but Martinez avoids them all with ease.
Damme slips a jab from Martinez.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Damme moves away from the strike by Martinez.
No joy there for Damme, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Damme walks into a straight right hand from Martinez.

Martinez lands a big shot that drops Damme! Can he finish him?

Damme is rocked!

It looks like Van Damme has been cut.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Martinez tries to free his leg and advance position but Damme is retaining full guard.
Oh Damme is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!

Damme escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Martinez gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Damme is breathing heavily.
Martinez pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Damme is keeping the position for now.
Martinez is still trying to improve position.
Damme seems to have got his legs back now.
Damme might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Martinez has gone for a leg lock! Damme slips out almost immediately though and dives into Martinez's guard.
Martinez wants to hit a switch here but Damme passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Martinez there!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Martinez is trying to reverse the position but instead Damme has taken his back - oops!
You can see the frustration on Martinez's face… He knows he is in trouble unless he improves his position sooner rather than later.
Martinez is trying to stand back up.
Martinez is defending well here and trying to improve his position.
Martinez trying to get back to his feet but Damme is in full control for now.
Martinez is trying to break free.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Martinez wants to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Damme patiently working for the choke. Which fighter will keep their nerve here?
Martinez rolls, trying to escape but Damme keeps control of the position.
Martinez wants to get back to his feet.
Martinez tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Martinez tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Martinez tries to improve his position but instead Damme has taken his back!
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!
Martinez is defending well here and trying to improve his position.
Martinez is trying to get back to his feet but he's not managed it yet.
Damme is looking to control Martinez but Martinez is wriggling around and keeping busy.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Martinez wants to get back to his feet.
Martinez is defending well here and trying to improve his position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alejandro Martinez dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Van Damme's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Martinez throws an ugly left hook that misses

and Damme counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Damme.
Martinez has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Martinez wants to get back to striking at distance but Damme won't allow it.
Martinez is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Martinez wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Damme has him pressed against the cage.
Martinez tries to circle away but Damme has him pinned against the cage.
Martinez wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Martinez has had enough of the clinch but Damme keeps him there for the moment.

Damme breaks the clinch.
Martinez takes a swing at Damme's ribcage but misses.
Martinez misses with an uppercut.
Martinez misses the jab.
Damme throws a head kick that misses.
Damme swings for the body but Martinez moves out of range.
Nice uppercut there from Martinez.
A jab from Martinez misses.
Damme uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Martinez.
Alejandro Martinez seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Martinez misses with a looping left.
Damme slips a jab and a cross from Martinez.
Damme avoids the body shot from Martinez.
Damme tries to clinch up.
Damme defending well as Martinez loads up on a big left hand.
Martinez fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Damme manages to avoid it.
Martinez dips to his left and cracks Damme with an uppercut!
Damme walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Martinez takes a kick to the side of the head.
Damme shoots for a double leg takedown but Martinez sprawls well. He's pushed Damme's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
A nice combination there by Martinez.
Martinez is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Martinez throws a hook but Damme blocks it.
Martinez steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Damme. That one must have hurt.
Martinez is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Damme.
Martinez swings for the body but Damme moves out of range.
Damme blocks a jab.
Damme throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Martinez.
Martinez has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Martinez tries to bum rush Damme with a series of wild strikes but Damme uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Damme is looking to clinch but Martinez is avoiding it.
A decent looking cross lands there for Martinez.
A slow jab from Martinez misses its intended target.
Martinez tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Damme was well out of range. Poor timing from Martinez.
Damme doesn't manage to clinch there - Martinez circles away.
Martinez connects with a looping right hand.
Damme misses with a double jab.
Alejandro Martinez is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Martinez lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.

Martinez drops Damme with a right and a left! Martinez comes rushing in but Damme regains his composure and manages to keep Martinez in guard.
Martinez throwing strikes from guard but Damme blocks nicely.
Martinez trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Damme looking to control.
Martinez wants to stand and escape but instead Damme has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Martinez is looking to stand up but Damme isn't so interested in that idea.

Damme stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Martinez avoids the head kick by Damme.
Damme doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Martinez throws a right and a left that Damme avoids nicely.
Martinez missing with a left hand there. Damme was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Damme misses with a jab, cross combination.
Damme shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Martinez throws a hook to the side of Damme's head but Damme sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Martinez fails to land with a series of punches.
Martinez takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Martinez lands with a shot to the body.
Martinez misses with a straight right.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Martinez misses with a hook.
Martinez thuds a left hand into Damme's body.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Damme takes one to the side of the head.
Damme moves into range and lands a nice body kick.
Martinez lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Martinez scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Damme doesn't seem bothered though.
Martinez misses with a few strikes there.
Martinez misses with a looping left.
Martinez swinging wildly here.
Martinez fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Damme manages to avoid it.
A big right from Martinez misses.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Damme uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Martinez.
Damme doesn't manage to clinch there - Martinez circles away.
Martinez fails to land with a series of punches.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alejandro Martinez showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Van Damme's cut.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Damme throws a jab when Martinez was well out of range.
Damme is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Martinez scores with a jab to the head.

Damme has taken the fight to the clinch.
Martinez is trying to break the clinch but Damme has him pressed against the cage.
Damme prevents Martinez from breaking the clinch.

Damme's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
A punch combination from Damme misses.
Damme throws a hook but Martinez avoids it easily.
Damme looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Martinez misses with a looping left.
Martinez slips a jab and a cross from Damme.
Damme uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Martinez.
Martinez avoids a punch combination nicely.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Damme takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Martinez smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Damme is looking to clinch but Martinez is avoiding it.
Alejandro Martinez seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Martinez throws out a loose jab but Damme uses good head movement to avoid it.
Damme takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Martinez pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Damme takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Martinez misses with a body shot.
Martinez fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Damme looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Damme takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
Martinez throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
BOOM! Martinez lands a beautiful left hook that drops Damme. Damme tries to recover but Martinez is having none of it, landing more punishing shots from mount. One final crushing shot and Damme lies motionless on the canvas. The fight is over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:43 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Alejandro Martinez!
Alejandro Martinez decided to go for the less than humble approach in his post fight interview, telling everyone how he is going to conquer the world. The crowd seemed to like it when really that sort of approach could have gone either way.