PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Dutch Schaeffer (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Joe Higashi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Dutch Schaeffer looks tired to me. Hopefully he has got enough gas left in the tank to put in a good performance.

Schaeffer
vs
Higashi

183 cm
21
178 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

200 cm
22
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Dutch Schaeffer!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Joe Higashi!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Schaeffer throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Schaeffer swings for the body but Higashi moves out of range.

Higashi clinches up against the cage.
Schaeffer takes a knee right on the jaw!

It looks like Dutch Schaeffer has been cut.
Schaeffer tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Higashi just stands there and leans against the cage.
Higashi is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

Higashi pulls Schaeffer into guard.
Higashi wants to control but Schaeffer passes easily into half guard.
Schaeffer prevents Higashi from standing back up.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Schaeffer content to control rather than advance.
Schaeffer stalling away here and it's allowed Higashi to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Higashi being controlled here, momentarily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Higashi keeping moving, preventing Schaeffer from controlling successfully.
Schaeffer is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Schaeffer trying to control but Higashi is working from the bottom.
Higashi is trying to control the position but Schaeffer postures up.
Schaeffer might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Higashi scrambles and gets back to his feet.

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.
Schaeffer tries a head kick but it misses.
Schaeffer is breathing heavily.
Higashi tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Schaeffer swivels and escapes.
Schaeffer throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Higashi tries to clinch there but Schaeffer circles away.
Higashi throws a sloppy head kick and Schaeffer moves out of range easily.
Higashi shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Schaeffer as he avoids it easily.
Higashi wants to clinch up but Schaeffer keeps it at a distance.
Higashi moves in looking to clinch but Schaeffer pushes him off.

Higashi closes the distance and clinches.
Higashi landing knees to the body.
Higashi lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Higashi trying to control the position but instead, Schaeffer has worked for underhooks and has pushed Higashi into the cage.

Schaeffer has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Higashi uses from the top position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Higashi wants to get up but he can't break Schaeffer's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Schaeffer is trying to keep Higashi in close.
Higashi tries to stand but Schaeffer is controlling from the bottom.
Schaeffer looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Higashi really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Schaeffer. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Schaeffer is pulling down on Higashi's head. It's preventing any offense from Higashi, at least for the moment.
Higashi wants to stand and escape but instead Schaeffer has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Schaeffer slips nicely into half guard.
Schaeffer uses his free foot to push down on Higashi's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Higashi.
Schaeffer working Higashi over with strikes here.
Schaeffer sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dutch Schaeffer dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Dutch Schaeffer's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Higashi shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Schaeffer but Schaeffer pushes him off and we're back to square one.

Higashi forces Schaeffer back against the cage and clinches.

Schaeffer manages to break the clinch.
Higashi moves in looking to clinch but Schaeffer pushes him off.
Schaeffer shoots in looking for a takedown. Higashi tries to sprawl out of it but Schaeffer keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Higashi manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

Schaeffer tries to keep at a distance but Higashi has taken the fight into the clinch.
Higashi is trying to stall.
Schaeffer trying to stall but Higashi improves his position.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Higashi.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Schaeffer tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Higashi smiles and moves away.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Higashi gets a clinch.
Higashi scores with a shoulder strike.

Higashi breaks from the clinch.
Schaeffer throws a lazy head kick

and Higashi counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Schaeffer!
Schaeffer keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Schaeffer tries to lock up and control but Higashi gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Higashi prevents Schaeffer from getting the reversal.
Higashi looking to control but Schaeffer is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Higashi content just to control the position here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Schaeffer wants to hold on but Higashi pushes him away.
Schaeffer is desperately trying to improve his position but Higashi has a good base and remains in mount.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Higashi controlling the position easily from mount.
Schaeffer tries to hold on but Higashi postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Higashi controlling the pace for now.
Schaeffer tries to lock up and control but Higashi gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Schaeffer is working to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Higashi controlling the position easily from mount.
Schaeffer trying desperately to get to his feet.
Schaeffer really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Joe Higashi showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Dutch Schaeffer'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. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

A slapping body kick lands there for Higashi.
Higashi tries to clinch up.
Joe Higashi seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Schaeffer has managed to clinch.

Higashi manages to break the clinch.
Higashi uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Schaeffer.

Schaeffer closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Higashi wants to get back to his feet.
Schaeffer trying to control the action but Higashi is working from the bottom.

Higashi kicks off Schaeffer and gets to his feet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Higashi closes the distance and pushes Schaeffer back into the cage.
Schaeffer tries for a takedown but Higashi manages to get underhooks.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Higashi throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Schaeffer blocks it with crossed arms.
Higashi connects with a nasty looking knee right to Schaeffer's face.

Higashi breaks from the clinch.
Higashi throws a nice head kick!
Higashi closes the distance and clinches up with Schaeffer, looking for a takedown. Higashi pushes Schaeffer against the cage but Schaeffer circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Schaeffer misses with a body shot.
Higashi wants to clinch
and Schaeffer counters with a big head kick but Higashi shrugs it off.

It looks like Joe Higashi has been cut.
Schaeffer throws a looping overhand right but Higashi ducks down to avoid it.
Higashi tries to clinch

and Schaeffer counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Higashi!
Schaeffer trying to control but Higashi is having none of it.
Schaeffer seems to be looking to move to his opponent's back but Higashi is holding on tight.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Schaeffer is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Higashi has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Higashi!
Schaeffer trying to keep a closed guard but Higashi is proving a slippery customer.

Schaeffer throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Schaeffer looking for a sweep. Not yet Schaeffer, not yet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Schaeffer is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Schaeffer is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Higashi is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Higashi has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Schaeffer is proving hard to escape from.
Schaeffer is trying to control the position but Higashi postures up.

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.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Higashi closes the distance but Schaeffer moves to the side

and Schaeffer counters by clinching up.

Higashi escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Higashi closes the distance looking to clinch

and Schaeffer counters by clinching up.
Higashi throws a head punch that misses.

Schaeffer breaks from the clinch.

Higashi rushes Schaeffer and presses him up against the cage.
Higashi wants to stall.
Schaeffer on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Schaeffer jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Higashi walks away with a smile on his face. Schaeffer gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Higashi wants to clinch

and Schaeffer decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Higashi's guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Dutch Schaeffer showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Schaeffer has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 29:28
Judge Gordon Ramsey scores the fight 29:28
Judge Frank Skinner scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Dutch Schaeffer!