PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Niklas Kaufmann (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Da Slayer (ranked 0 p4p, 0 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.

Kaufmann
vs
Slayer

210 cm
20
268 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

220 cm
22
235 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Niklas Kaufmann!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Da Slayer!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Slayer shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Kaufmann is trying to get back to full guard.
Kaufmann tries to kick Slayer off but Slayer keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Slayer perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Slayer trying to control the action but Kaufmann is working from the bottom.
Slayer stops Kaufmann from getting back to his feet.
Kaufmann is trying to escape back to his feet but Slayer uses the scramble to pass into side control.
Kaufmann looking for a sweep but Slayer has passed into full mount! Oh no!
Slayer lands a big elbow.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Slayer cracks Kaufmann with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Kaufmann tries to hold on but Slayer postures up.

Slayer goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Kaufmann is on top in guard.
Slayer keeping moving, preventing Kaufmann from controlling successfully.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Kaufmann trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

Slayer is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Slayer is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two 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.

Kaufmann stands up and waves to Slayer to follow him.
Slayer blocks a head kick by Kaufmann.
Slayer blocks a head kick by Kaufmann.
Slayer takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
No joy there for Kaufmann, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Kaufmann moves in looking to clinch but Slayer pushes him off.
Kaufmann is breathing heavily.
Kaufmann goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Kaufmann slow jab from Slayer misses its intended target.
Slayer avoids the head kick by Kaufmann.
Kaufmann takes a swing at Slayer's ribcage but misses.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Slayer.
Slayer in side control lands a decent elbow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Slayer scoring with punches and elbows.
Slayer just content to control the position.
Slayer is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

Slayer working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Kaufmann is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Slayer controls the position.
Slayer's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.

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.
Kaufmann is looking for a sweep.
Kaufmann is working hard here to advance position.
Slayer lands a few punches from side control.

Slayer stands up and we're back to a striking position.
Kaufmann fails to land with a series of punches.

Slayer rushes Kaufmann and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Kaufmann stalling in the clinch but Slayer improves position.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Kaufmann.
Kaufmann lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.

Slayer manages to break the clinch.
Kaufmann avoids a punch combination nicely.

Slayer has managed to clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Da Slayer dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Kaufmann clinches but Slayer breaks the clinch

and Slayer counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Slayer takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Kaufmann is trying to control but can't.
Slayer slips a nice elbow through Kaufmann's hands, connecting with Kaufmann's forehead.
Slayer tries to stand but can't do so whilst Kaufmann controls his leg.
Slayer works his way into full mount!
Kaufmann throwing hammer fists to the chest of Slayer. What's that going to do exactly?
Slayer really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Kaufmann. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Kaufmann wants to try and get back to his feet.
Kaufmann is in all sorts of trouble here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kaufmann is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Slayer is landing with some decent strikes but Kaufmann is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Slayer wants to control the pace but Kaufmann is squirming around nicely.
Slayer is landing with some decent strikes but Kaufmann is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Slayer sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Kaufmann keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Slayer blocks Kaufmann's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Kaufmann is squirming around, avoiding Slayer's attempts to control the action.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Kaufmann is trying desperately to improve position.
Kaufmann tries to lock up and control but Slayer gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Kaufmann tries to buck Slayer off but Slayer takes his back!
Slayer doesn't have the hooks in and Kaufmann manages to turn into his guard.
Kaufmann wants to stand and escape but instead Slayer has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Kaufmann is on top in guard.
Kaufmann scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Kaufmann passes Slayer's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Slayer is staying active underneath Kaufmann, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kaufmann tries to stand but his arm is trapped.
Kaufmann working the head and body with strikes.
Kaufmann is tying to control. Slayer wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Kaufmann is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Kaufmann working the ground and pound effectively.
Slayer wants to control but Kaufmann is having none of it.
Kaufmann tries to control but Slayer wriggling away.

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.
Slayer tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Kaufmann punishing his opponent with strikes.
Kaufmann in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Kaufmann in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Kaufmann has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Slayer's face.
Kaufmann working away from the top, dropping strikes.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Slayer can do anything to dispel that myth.
Slayer is trying to escape the mount.
Kaufmann avoids the attempt from Slayer to control.
Slayer is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
Kaufmann looking to control but Slayer is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Niklas Kaufmann will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. And we move into the final round!

Slayer shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Kaufmann's guard.
Slayer pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Kaufmann is keeping the position for now.
The step up in weight doesn't seem to be a problem for Slayer. He's performing admirably here against the bigger man.
Slayer passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Kaufmann prevents Slayer from improving position.
Slayer lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Kaufmann down.
Slayer landing a few strikes.

Slayer stands up and beckons Kaufmann to his feet.

Slayer gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Slayer jumps into guard, dragging Kaufmann to the mat.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Slayer holds on and takes a little breather.
Kaufmann is looking to stand up but Slayer won't let him.
Slayer trying to keep a closed guard but Kaufmann is proving a slippery customer.
Slayer trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!

Slayer had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Kaufmann is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Slayer Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Kaufmann's back instead.
Da Slayer has got the better of the ground game so far.

Slayer is working for the rear naked choke. He has one arm under the chin but Kaufmann has hold of the other arm. A bit of a stalemate here.
Kaufmann wants to control his opponent's hands but Slayer gets his hands free.

That's two 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.
Slayer has good solid back control here.
Kaufmann tries to escape but Slayer has the hooks in and won't let him break free.
Kaufmann covers up after that shot from Slayer.
Slayer keeps control of the position easily here as Kaufmann tries to buck him off.
Slayer scores with some strikes to the side of the head there. Good, points scoring shots.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Slayer just keeping the dominant position. He can't wait too long though, otherwise the referee will stand them back up.

Slayer is staying calm and holding on to the back position, whilst working on a rear naked choke. Kaufmann is defending well though. Slayer let's go of the attempt for now.
Kaufmann staying busy and making it hard for Slayer to control.
Kaufmann is trying to break free.
Kaufmann is being controlled on the ground here - he must escape this position otherwise surely the end is near.
Kaufmann wants to escape 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.
Kaufmann is very frustrated here, being controlled quite effectively by Slayer.

Despite being in the dominant position, Da Slayer just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Slayer feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Kaufmann's calf.

Slayer darts in and clinches Kaufmann up against the cage.
Kaufmann content to slow the pace in the clinch.

Slayer manages to break the clinch.
Kaufmann tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Slayer counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Kaufmann is trying to keep Slayer in close.
Kaufmann is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Slayer is controlling him.
Slayer stopping the sweep attempt from Kaufmann.
Slayer trying to control the position from guard on top but Kaufmann is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

And that's the end of the fight!
Da Slayer comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Slayer 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 Andi Peters scores the fight 27:30
Judge Gordon Ramsey scores the fight 27:29
Judge Frank Skinner scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Da Slayer!